My name is Mary Walsh and I am a Member of the Australian Labor Party.

I am writing to request that you, my Representative in Government, give serious consideration to the Legislation of Choice and Dignity in Dying.

In response to her call for public comment on the Medical Treatment Act 1988, I wrote a letter, Feb. 18, 2003, to Ellen Kittson, Manager, Biotechnology Safety and Ethics, Department of Human Services for which I received only a standard one line response “Thank you for your views on this important topic.” My main contention is that “to respect a person’s right to refuse medical treatment” does not, in itself, ensure a peaceful death.

My “story” began with my mother, suffering a stroke in 1983, which took two weeks to kill her. The vigil I spent by her bed seemed interminable with her never regaining consciousness, having suffered major brain damage. The one thing that prevented me from disconnecting her life support system was being charged with manslaughter in my daughter’s HSC year. In the waiting room with me, a visitor told me that his mother had been like mine for two years.

Personally, I am in remission almost five years with ovarian cancer. It is great to have a positive attitude while there is hope of a reasonable quality of life. However, the prospect of coming out of remission has a much less positive outcome. For other people, there are also medical conditions which have a bad prognosis similar to cancer, which require sensitive consideration.

Labor has no Policy for being “permitted” to die with dignity. No Policy provision is evident for medically assisted dying, that is proactive in the interests of the patient. I want my death to be as stress free as possible for both myself and my family. Palliative care is not enough for many facing a terminal illness. I’ve seen this first hand a number of times. I believe life should be shortened for the benefit of all concerned, under medical and legal guidelines. Legislation has already been passed and overridden, elsewhere, that covered all medical and legal ramifications. Doctors should be applauded and encouraged to put their patient’s needs before all other considerations. They need stability and reassurance in their decision making.

It is important that you as a politician realize that you will die. And the way in which you do so, whether peacefully or (for weeks before) severely distressed, will remain in the memory of your family. Given a choice, which would you choose, for yourself, and your loved one? 

Please give people such as myself the option of choosing death with dignity, rather than leaving “the mess” for someone else to find. This issue is so very important to all Victorians. A simple method for tracking people could be incorporated in a data base similar to the Organ Donors Register. Only those, who wish for a medically assisted death need apply for registration, others opposed to it, can let nature take its course. Written documentation within the medical file would also be an additional, complimentary method of ensuring the patient’s wellbeing is the most important issue.

Again, I ask that you to give serious consideration to law reform that will result in all Victorians being given the right to a peaceful and dignified death for those who choose this option. Also I’ll say “thank you”, to all Members of Parliament, for the possibilities which may arise out of this consideration. Whether you personally agree or disagree, with my sentiments as expressed, my request is for all Victorians to have the choice. 

It is within your power to make the difference.

Mary Walsh
November 10, 2003

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